Tennessee church shooting leaves 1 dead, 6 injured

The scene where people were injured when gunfire erupted at the Burnette Chapel Church of Christ, in Nashville. (Credit: Nashville Fire Dept.)

ABC News — One woman has been shot dead and six other churchgoers were wounded after a gunman opened fire Sunday morning at a Tennessee church as services were ending, authorities said.

The shooting at Burnett’s Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch, Tennessee, started in the church's parking lot, according to police and the Nashville Fire Department.

Nashville Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said emergency calls came in around 11:15 a.m. as services were letting out.

The shooter arrived in the parking lot and first fatally fired at a woman walking to her car, Aaron said. He then went inside the rear of the church and opened fire, setting off multiple rounds, wounding six people.

A church member who ran up and confronted the gunman was pistol-whipped by him, the police spokesman said. That church member then went to his car where he got his weapon to confront the gunman again.

The gunman then shot himself. His wound is not life-threatening, police said.

All seven of the wounded including the suspect were taken to area hopsitals, five of them to Vanderbilt Medical Center and one to Skyline Medical Center.

Police said they know the identity of the suspect and that he has no relationship to the congregation.

Vanderbilt Medical Center said in a statement after the shooting that its emergency medicine physicians and trauma center surgeons are caring for two critically injured gunshot victims, and another four individuals who are currently in stable condition.